Can't render layout with observer event

Question

I'm trying to load a layout and set my custom phtml after the cart page.

But when I put the directives to load the layout, I have the following error:

Fatal error: Call to a member function getRequestedRouteName() on a non-object in /var/www/html/magento/edubras.dev/html/app/code/core/Mage/Core/Controller/Varien/Action.php on line 226

config.xml:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <GrupoNDB_EmailCatcher>
            <version>0.0.1</version>
        </GrupoNDB_EmailCatcher>
    </modules>

    <global>
        <blocks>
            <grupondb_emailcatcher>
                <class>GrupoNDB_EmailCatcher_Block</class>
            </grupondb_emailcatcher>
        </blocks>
        <helpers>
            <grupondb_emailcatcher>
                <class>GrupoNDB_EmailCatcher_Helper</class>
            </grupondb_emailcatcher>
        </helpers>

        <models>
            <grupondb_emailcatcher>
                <class>GrupoNDB_EmailCatcher_Model</class>
            </grupondb_emailcatcher>
        </models>
        <events>
            <controller_action_predispatch_onestepcheckout_index_index>
                <observers>
                    <grupondb_emailcatcher>
                        <class>grupondb_emailcatcher/observer</class>
                        <method>displayEmailCatcherPage</method>
                    </grupondb_emailcatcher>
                </observers>
            </controller_action_predispatch_onestepcheckout_index_index>
        </events>
    </global>
</config>

My observer code:

<?php 

class GrupoNDB_EmailCatcher_Model_Observer {

    public function __construct() {

    }


    public function displayEmailCatcherPage($observer) {

        $frontA = new Mage_Core_Controller_Front_Action;
        $frontA->loadLayout()->getLayout();

        $eCookie = Mage::getModel('core/cookie')->get("email");

        if( $eCookie == 'none'|| !isset($eCookie) || empty($eCookie) ) {
            echo Mage::app()->getLayout()->createBlock('core/template')->setTemplate('grupondb/email-catcher/cadastroEmail.phtml')->toHtml();
            die;
        }

        // Call the block to fill the fields in checkout
        echo Mage::app()->getLayout->createBlock('core/template')->setTemplate('grupondb/email-catcher/set-email-field.phtml')->toHtml();


    }

}

Someone can help me with this?

Cheers!

Answer 1

You should not use the Mage_Core_Controller_Front_Action this way and actually you don't need an observer for this at all.

Layout changes can be done via the layout xml files in app/design/frontend/YOURPACKAGE/YOURTHEME/layout/.

The standard layout file from the rwd theme is app/design/frontend/rwd/default/layout/checkout.xml.

You can update the template for a specific page and add the relevant part to your app/design/frontend/YOURPACKAGE/YOURTHEME/layout/local.xml

<checkout_onepage_index translate="label">
    <reference name="checkout.onepage">
        <block type="grupondb_emailcatcher/YOURBLOCKCLASS" name="checkout.emailcatcher.cadastroemail" as="cadastroemail" template="grupondb/email-catcher/cadastroEmail.phtml"/>
        <block type="grupondb_emailcatcher/YOURBLOCKCLASS" name="checkout.emailcatcher.setemailfield" as="setemailfield" template="grupondb/email-catcher/set-email-field.phtml"/>
    </reference>
</checkout_onepage_index>

Please note:

• You also need to create the corresponding block classes to use this.
• You did not mention where exactly you would like to insert your blocks so you might need to adjust either checkout_onepage_index or the reference name.